T.S Eliot As a Critic
It is not an easy task to under stand Eliot as a critic, because he is
the person who raise voice against “the romantic” criticism. He denies
Wordsworth’s explanation in which Wordsworth claims that “poetry is nothing but recollection of
emotions in tranquility”. While ,Eliot says that poetry is not a medium to give
went to the emotions of a poet, but “poetry is an escape from emotions”. It is
not a turning loose of emotions. Very confusing for students like me to under
stand the way he is trying to explain. It requires deep understanding of the
critic i.e. T.S.Eliot.
He was an objective critic which means he is talking about escape of
emotions is particularly about poet’s personal emotions. He favors self-sacrifice
of poet or impersonality or depersonalization of the emotions of the poet .This
will give universal appeal to essence of the poem. Here I would like to add
that Eliot was under the influence of Sigmund Freud. It was that influence
which compels Eliot to think about oneness of the reader or spectator with the
emotions and feelings of the work of art.
As literature or work of art was the
result of impersonality of the artist so, there is no need to relate work with
the particular artist. He also consider it unnecessary to learn about poet’s
background and environment he lives in. Means no need to learn about
personality of the poet.
This is an important aspect of his theory of criticism. On the other hand
Eliot says that impact of past literature over the present is unavoidable same
is about the impact of predecessors. So, if we are to judge work of art,
knowledge of the past literature and of immediate predecessors is must. Each
work is full of feelings and emotions, which are same throughout. Now we can
say that literature is just new representation of the same age old emotions.
Here Eliot says that this is the only stage where poet’s Individuality can be
judged. The very technique used by the poet to express emotions will give marks
on the greatness of the poet. Whether the essence is universal or personal.
Thus very easily he proved that past and present literature is one and same as
emotion and feelings are same, it is only the technique of representation which
differs them.
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